Nebraska State Historical Society
Title
Transactions and Reports of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Volume II
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
January 1887
A considerable portion of the historical matter contained in this
volume consists of papers read at the last two annual meetings of the
Society. However, in the suggestion of topics for some of these and
in the selection of matter derived from other sources, the attainment
of a certain degree of unity has been kept in view: by confining the
discussions, so far as practicable in a publication of this character,
to the territorial and earlier periods of Nebraska history.
The Society has recently come into possession of a copy of the
manuscript of the late Samuel Allis, transcribed by permission of the
family of the author by Mr. Henry Fontenelle, at the instance of
Governor Furnas. It is here printed with the exception of the concluding
portion—about one-third of the matter in bulk—which has
been omitted as not of sufficient general interest; and, for the
same reason, passages here and there throughout the earlier pages
have been cut out. Some corrections of obvious errors or oversights
have also been made without specific mention.
It has been thought desirable to begin a reprint of the more important
of the "Centennial" county histories. Single copies of these have
become very scarce, and but one or two complete sets, so far as we
know, are in existence. For the first installment, the histories of
Cass, Dodge, Sarpy, and Washington counties have been selected, because
these are especially rich in memorials of the earliest pioneer
life in Nebraska. For example, the account of "club-law" in Cass
county, by Dr. Child, is an interesting contribution to the local history
of that peculiar organization for squatter self-help—the "claim
association." The history of that institution, which in the primitive
settlements of Nebraska played a more stirring part, perhaps, than
anywhere else in the country, will, it is hoped, receive a somewhat
detailed treatment in the third volume of the Transactions.
Through the permission of the author and the approval of the Nebraska
Commandery of the Loyal Legion, Capt. H. E. Palmer's account of the Powder river expedition of 1865 is here reprinted. It
forms a valuable companion-piece to Lieut. E. S. Dudley's paper
on our early military history. We regret, however, that the delay in
receiving the pamphlet edition issued by the Loyal Legion renders it
impossible to incorporate the interesting "Addenda," which was not
attached to the copy furnished us by the author.
In conclusion it may be noted that President Furnas should be
credited with collecting and editing the biographical section of this
volume; for the remainder the subscriber [George E. Howard] is editorially responsible.
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Published in Lincoln, NE, 1887.